Tibet: Dalai Lama is 'stable'

Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama is in a stable condition and there is no cause for concern over his health, the private Indian hospital to which he was admitted said Friday [29 August 2008].

The 73-year-old spiritual leader was taken to hospital in India's financial hub on Thursday [28 August 2008] after suffering from exhaustion and complaining of "abdominal discomfort," according to his spokesman.

The hospital said he was undergoing tests.

"He is stable, there is no cause for concern," Lilavati hospital spokesman Mohan Rajan told AFP. "The tests are in progress."

"His holiness is suffering some abdominal discomfort," the Dalai Lama's spokesman Tenzin Takla added. "He is not in the intensive care unit. He is in a reserved room."

According to a statement from his office in in Dharamshala, the northern India base of the Tibetan exiles' movement, "all that he needs is a good rest."

The statement also said there was "absolutely no cause for concern."

In recent weeks the Dalai Lama has been pursuing a gruelling travel itinerary as he campaigned for improved human rights in Tibet while China readied to host the Olympic Games in Beijing that ended on August 24 [2008].

His office said that his medical condition had forced him to cancel all appointments for three weeks, including planned visits to Mexico and the Dominican Republic.

The monk will also not be taking part in a worldwide 12-hour fast on August 30 [2008] aimed at ensuring attention to the campaign for improved human rights in Tibet did not drop off in the wake of the Olympics, organisers said.

The health scare has prompted special Buddhist prayer meetings in Dharamshala.

Dozens of monks and nuns gathered at the main temple in Dharamshala -- also home to the Dalai Lama and his government-in-exile -- to pray for the well being of their leader.

"Whenever news like this comes out, all Tibetans inside and outside Tibet remain concerned. It is a matter of concern for the future of Tibet," said poet and activist Tenzing Tsundue.

In 2002 the leader of Tibetan Buddhists was admitted to the Lilavati Hospital iin Mumbai after falling ill with stomach pains. He was treated with antibiotics.

He also underwent medical tests earlier this month, his office said, without providing further details.China sent troops into Tibet in 1950 and "liberated" it the following year. The Dalai Lama fled into exile in India in 1959 following a failed uprising against Chinese rule.

The Dalai Lama has been pursuing a "middle path" policy -- which espouses "meaningful autonomy" for Tibet.

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